I've always been curious to try the infamous durian fruit. a food so vile, so smelly (to some) that it's been banned on commerical aircraft, public transit and many hotels across s.e. asia. i always thought i'd have to travel to thailand or singapore to sample this malodorous treat. however, while in boston's chinatown, i came across an asian market that sells them. i'm wondering, before i invest in one, has anyone ever tried one, how bad is the odor, is it worth trying?

I like durian... it's not for everyone, but I don't think it's as bad as everyone says. Yes, the stink is horrible. I occasionally buy them in Chinatown here in SF and they come frozen, so that they don't stink up the whole store/your car/etc. Hence it's good to cut and clean them while they're in a semi-frozen state (use a serrated knife).

Another way to get durian without the stinky mess is to go to a Vietnamese bakery. They'll often have cream puffs and tarts with durian in them. Some Vietnamese restaurants will also offer fresh durian.

Being a Malaysian...I have to say that I do enjoy a good durian. Malaysian tend to - we sit around and have durian parties where we gorge ourselves silly on the "king of fruits". The best ones are the slightly bittersweet ones, like everything in life (and dark chocolate, mmm!! ). Texture is important too! I love the creamy, smooth kind. :D

Durian was an acquired taste for me, though...and it definitely does smell strong! Traditional means to get the smell off your fingers include washing with the seed (don't know if it works!). Chinese people have this thing with "heaty" and cooling foods, and to counter the heat of the durian, you're supposed to drink water out of the empty shell.

You could try durian cakes or durian ice cream, but it's not quite the same as cracking open a fresh fruit.

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durian's pretty good... nice and creamy flesh. the smell is pretty bad, and don't try anything durian-flavoured before trying durian itself. i can only stand the fruit, durian ice cream is disgusting. apparently the smell is only bad once the stalk is taken off, so if you get a really fresh one from the tree then its not so bad. i'm not sure whether there's any truth to that rumour.